Card perforating machine or the like



'Feb. 9, 1932. A THOMAS CARD P ERFORATING MACHIENE OR THE LIKE Original Filed Jan. 10, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb; 9, 1932.

A. THOMAS CARD PERFORATING MACHINE OR THE LIKE Original Filed Jan. 10. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 l-vzufmz- A. THOMAS I ATTORNEYS- Feb. 9, 1932. A. THOMAS 1,344,811

' CARD PERFORATING MACHINE OR THE LIKE Original Filad Jan. 10, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 A. Tue A5 I fl zlzfim i.

F8). 9, THOMAS 1,844,811

' CARD PERFORATING MACHINE OR THE LIKE Original Filed Jan. 10, 1950 s'sheets-sheet 4 lrwENTunP' A. HUMAS CARD PERFORATING MACHINE OR THE LIKE Original Filed Jan. 10, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENT'DR A. THOMAS Pzwwfl ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES ARTHUR THOMAS, or THORNTON HEATH, ENG AND, ASSIGNOR To THE Aocounrrne &

PATENT oFFics TAB'ULATING- CORPORATION OF BRITAIN LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND oARn PERFORATING MACHINE OR THE LIKE Original application filed January 10, 1930, Seria1No. 419,974, and in Great Britain January 21, 1929. Divided and this application filed March 25, 1931. Serial No. 525,254. A

This invention which is a division of my application, Serial No. 419,974, filed danuary 10th, 1930, relates to cardperforating machines or the like, and has for its object to provide means whereby the carriage may be moved back one step and at the same time the individual latch for the column ofset bars corresponding to the position of the carriage after it has thus moved is released.

In the type of machine to which the invention relates, the carriage carries a plurality of setting members in the form of plungers which are arranged in one column from front to rear of the machine, the setting members corresponding to and being controlled by the keys e. g. through theagencyof Bowden mechanism and bell crank levers, so that on depression of the respective key the setting member is depressed.

The column of setting members so carried by the carriage is traversed step by step over a field of set bars of which there are a plurality of columns producing lines of bars at right angles to each column, the number of columns being at least as great as the number of columns formed on statistical cards, sheets or the like, to be perforated in the machine,each column-comprising'a set'of bars one corresponding to each setting member.

As the carriage is traversed over the field the columns of setting members are brought successively over each column in the field of bars. Upon the depressionfof' one of the settingmembers the respective bar in the columnof the bars under the setting members at the particular position of the carriage, is depressed, and is heldddepressedby a spring pressed latch bar which engages with a shoul der on the depressed bar.

In moving down, the bar depresses a spring pin. There is one such pin for every bar and the springs onthese pins tend to keep the pins in upward position, which is their normal position, the springs also serving to reset the respective bars when the latch aforesaid has released them. i

Each of the latch bars has its front end arranged in juxtaposition with apivoted releasing pawl formed withan oblique face hereafter referred to V 1 i up with the frame and encounters all the punches, lifting them with it.

If a spring pin is depressed it attempts to 1 stop the upwardinovement of the respective punch, but as the respective bar is held by the latch aforesaid the spring pin acts as an abutment for the punch and causes a corresponding perforationof the card.

In the operation of such a machine the key board is operated to actuateone or more of the setting members at each position of the carriage and at the end of the carriage traverse of the field of bars the punch key is operated, thereby connecting the frame to power which effects the perforation of the card according to the setting action.

I11 the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a punch perforatingmachine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 isafront elevation of the machine.

Fig. 3 is an endelevation looking from the -Fig.'4is a section on the line IV IV of bar actuating Fig. 2 but withthe release mechanism in elevation.

' Fig. 6 shows a detail of the arrangement shown in Fig. 5. i

In the construction illustrated the carriage 1 has attached thereto a: cable 52 passing over a jockey pulley the other end of the cable being anchored to a wheel 41, the construction of which will be described later. The jockey pulley 3 lies in a loop 2a of the cable and is carried on an arm 5 pivoted at 5:1 to the frame of the machine tlieweight of the pulley tending to cause the arm to assume a substantially horizontal position when the cari roll 9 which acts as the afbutmenton thepiv oted lever 5 which is. coaxial. with thepinion 7 aforesaid:

On the depression oftlie punch key 1'0at' the :enchofi at setting; operation; a BOWdBILCablG 1-1: moves al'even 1Q. about-itspivot 1:3; The upperend: of this lever is turnedi oven at 1% and) provided: with an: obliqueslot 15 engag to the: obliquity oh the slot? 15 movement of the? lever 12-. causes axial movement of. the ban'lZ which allowsiaispring pressed plunger. 17a to: engage with a member 18 provided with dog; teethso: as ta connect an electric: motor 19 through a gear. train- 19a, 1912, 19c to the pinionand: the toothed wheel 6 causing; the roll to press down the lever 5 during; its: rotation to: the: substantially horizontal position, vehemthe carriage is: returned. The plunger l'M-is automatically disengaged from the teeth of the member 1&8 by means: of. acam: numben 18?); even the. surface; ofi which the plunger rides and=is then withdrawn from engagement with the dog teethafter onere-vo."

lution 0t themembier L84 'lEhe bar. 17. istreturned teats initial: position by thespringi 18a.

The arrangement is such that the rel-L 9 starts its operation onrthe pivotedlleven 5- with a minimum speed soithatthez initial movement of; the carriage 1 is of gradual: nature; the speed cat. which lS accelerated up to themiddleof the movement and then decelerated; until theend: of the movemenhithat-is to say, there J is what may be termed; a simple harmonic motion in operation with the lever 5;.

The wheel 4 to which the cable 2 is attached isprovided with a. spring 20 having; one end; secured to the wheel atQOa' and the other to the? machine tria -me at 20?)- sce- Fig. 3). The wheel; 4: carries astop 21- adapted teengagg-c witha fixed abutment 22-. when the carriageis in its initial position.

I111 3' thecarriage has moved; from: this position so that the arm 5 is not horizontal.

In theevent of thepunch key being depressed whilst-the carriage for some reason or other is prevented from movingfwith. the cable, the wheel: at is rotated and. the spri becomes. stressed, the stop: 21 on" the wheel being: retractedz from: the: abutmentv 22 on the frame to;

the desired extent, and! then. automatically useful when the carriage is returned over a part only of its traverse as in gang punching, as the arrest of the carriage does not interi erewith the working of the pivoted lever.

Referringnow to the pivoted release pawls anranged. the front end ofeachof the latch bars as hereinbefore referred to as comprised in a perforating machine for cards, sheets or the like, therei'spivotally mounted on the eseapement wheel shaft; ofthe carriage" carryingthe setting members, a rocking member a'daptedto beoperatedby hand provided with an arm connected by alinlnto a rockinglever usually disposed just above the latches and mounted on the carriage frame and carrying at its; free end a bevelled: roller;

When; the rocking member is operated: by hand it, is rockedl so. asto.- move the: roller downwardly'onto the oblique or canifaces of the latches through the. agency of the link.

and: second. rocking, lever hereinbefore referredto. It then. the carriage, is returned towards the left oi the machine the. roller passes over theoblique on cam faccsot all'the latches-and causes them. to move their respective: latch bars longitudinallythereby releasingall thebars previously set and. which.

werepreviously locked by'the latching bar.

In! such form. of machine after a setting:

operation. the punch key isoperated' and then the carriag.e returned to the left hand or starting; position. with the result that all the release pawlsare operated and the latcltbars caused to release the set bars New 111-. a GOIlShIllClllOZl. according to the present. invention it is: preferred to modify the'means otreleas-ingi the latches;

To this end there is provided. in operable relation with, all ot the release pawls or latches 2.?- a; release bar 28 arranged transversely ofv them-, and operable laterally to I simultaneously return all latch pawls to normal pos1t1on,.whereby they cause the mave- Theopera-tion. otthisrelease bar QSmay be a-utomaticer by hand, and inthe hand; operation there-is provided av lever 80 at one side oil the machine which can be moved inanually merit-of. the latchbars to release any set bars into-the chain line: position in Figure 4 in which; a1nese30a'on the; lever causes a lateral displacement or? the-barQSx For the purpose of. releasing Individual latches there is provided as in the known constructions rockmember 31 pivota-ll y mounted on the shaft 32: ot the escapement wheel 33'.

llilountedi to slide axially on the rocking member isa plate 34 provided at one end with an arm 35: connected by a link 36 to a rocking" lever 37 which carriesv instead of a pivoted roller a linger 38 so that on the oper ation of therock'member' 31 the linger operates on: particular latch which is determined by the back spacing; mechanism now about to be described. This back spacing mechanism is conveniently combined with the escape-- ment mechanism and may be employed whether or not themodified arrangement for operating the release pawls is employed. The back spacing mechanism includes a back spacing pawl 39 formed on the sliding plate 34 and adapted to engage with the carriage rack 40 when the member 31 is rocked. The member 31 is provided with a hand lever 41. and when this lever is brought into the position shown in chain lines in Fig. the pawl 39 engages with the rack and the carriage is moved back onetooth of the rack asper mitted by the slots 31a in the member 31. Simultaneously the fingerv 38 is operated to reset the column of bars corresponding to the new position of the carriage. I By such an arrangement if an error has been made in punching a hole in a particular column, the carriage can be returned to the column and the latch bar released by one movement ofthe back spacer lever and the bars reset by operating the correct key.

Referring now to the operation of the latches 27 by a power operated release bar 28 arranged transversely of them, as employed in a machine having means for automatically returning the carriage 1 to initial position as hereinbefore described, the movement of the bar 28 may be effected on the return of the carriage 1 bycarrying the bar on arms 42 mounted on a rock shaft 43 operablefrom the source of power.

Conveniently the tooth wheel 6 operating the pivoted lever. 5 of the return mechanism for the carriage 1, the arrangement being synchronized so that when the carriage has returned, the setting latches have all been released and the machine is immediately ready for the next punching operation.

One of the pivoted arms 42 mounted on the rock shaft 43 heretofore mentioned for operating the release bar 28 conveniently forms the bearing for the hand lever 30 for operating the bar independently of the rock shaft and the rock shaft is also mounted for axial adjustment so as to disengage it from the source of power when it is required to operate it by hand. To this end one end of the rock shaft 43 is provided with a head 44 under which passes apush rod 45 having a cam surface 46 which engages the head and on being pushed causes the ELXlELl displacement by a camming action.

At the other end of the rock shaft is fixed an arm 47 which on the displacement of the rock shaft is carried out of the path of an actuating member 48 carried by the tooth wheel. 6 aforesaid of the carriage return mechanism. 7 a t On such operation therelease bar 28 can be operated by hand.

On the retractionof the push member 45 effecting acam action on the rock shaft 43,

the latter is preferably spring returned to bring its arm 47 into the path of the actuat- 'ing member or roll 48 on the tooth wheel 6,

latch-may then be pulled out into the position shown at 27a where it is out of action. The

bar. 28 may then be lowered to preventthe remaining latches from coming out.

By the present invention, a perforating machine is provided whether or not there is a carriage return mechanism with improved means of actuating the release pawls by hand or by power whereby corrections can be effected in a column if an error has been made by depression of the wrong key, and in the combination of the actuating mechanism for the release pawls with the carriage return mechanism, apparatus is provided in which the release pawls are actuated to release the latch bars synchronously with the return of the carriage although at will the actuation of the release latches may be withheld when it is desired to do repetition work.

It may here also be mentioned that in a machine provided with a back spacing device the carriage travel is increased to the extent of one column so that in the end position of the carriage the operation of the back spacing mechanism will bring the carriage setting levers over the end column of bars for the correction of that column as may be desired.

An advantage arising out of this construction is that the operation of the keys in the end position of thecarriage cannot produce an incorrect setting of the bars inthe end column as does occur in an ordinary machine when the carriage at the end of its traverse is over the end column. In that case, if the operator, believing there is one more column.

By constructions according to the present inventlon such errors are eliminated.

Although the mechanism herein referred to has been described in its application to a perforating machine for cards, sheets or the like, the description is by way of example only, as the invention is applicable to any form of record making devices in which a carriage is traversed during a series of setting operations and the record eifected by a separate key or actuator.

What I claim is In a punch perforating machine the combihat'ion of. a carriage, amescaL-pement' wheel shaft mounted om said carriage, amanually operable rocking member pivotally' mount'edi 0n saidl shait a plate adapted: toslideeaxielly on said rockmg; member, an; aaim'. securedi to: said plate, a rocking leven a: fingen CHJBi'Ed on said: leverand adapted ire-engage with and move an individual latch, an operative con.- neetion between said anm. and: said: rocking 1G5 leveryw Back for theca rriage and a; bank spac ing pwwl formed 0nv one: end 013 said slidingplate; and adapted to. engage with the rack, whereby when the rocking member is 09eratedl the said: pawl is: caused-2 t0. engagewith 1, the mek and move the-carriage backward one step, while at the same time the finger resets the column. of: setting bars correspond:- ing to the positimnw of the carriageafter 1t hasdihus moved back." t 2a In testimony'whereef'l affix my: signature.

ARTHUR; THOMAS. 

